I sit at a desk all day as I'm sure many of you do as well. I have to tell you, some days I am just aching in my shoulders and I get headaches from the pain. I know it has to do with how I sit and not taking enough breaks. I finally got rid of my old computer chair which caused me to slouch and picked up a better one that I now sit up straight in.
It is much more comfortable to sit at my desk and type. I'm not slouching at all and my shoulders are more relaxed. If you are a desk jockey and find yourself in pain after a long day of work, you may need to start taking more breaks during the day and stretching out a little bit. Breaks are hard to take when you are so engrossed with work but below are some tips to hopefully help you get into the habit of doing ergonomic exercises to relieve some pain and tension.
Rest Your Eyes
Sitting in front of a computer all day means constant staring at the monitor for hours on end. Your eyes need a break too. Try looking off into the distance to refocus. Also try covering your eyes with your palms for 15 seconds. I forget where I picked that up but it helps a lot and feels relaxing.
Eye Strain Exercises:
Get Your Blood Circulating
We are not meant to sit for hours without any movement. Keep your blood circulating by walking around after every hour of work. It's easy to forget to take breaks so you can set the alarm on your watch to remind you or use the alarm on your email program (I think Microsoft Outlook has this feature.)
Exercises for Neck Pain
Nothing hurts worse on me than my neck when I am sitting all day. I found a good video which demonstrates neck exercises that you can do at your desk. I particularly like the "figure 8" exercise - it is very relaxing.
The best thing for me, besides stretching, is to actually get up and walk around. Sometimes I am stuck on a problem and leaving my desk actually helps me refocus and figure out a solution much faster.
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Thanks for the insightful post Eartha. I think it’s easy to forget the importance of resting, stretching and moving in the office. I try and make sure that I move around quite a lot but it becomes very difficult to make yourself take even a small break if the work is piling up. I will have to try and actively make sure that I take some breaks, even when I am busy.
Moving around in the office is a great way to take a break. Stretching, walking are both good to get the blood flowing around!
Exercise at work is a must for me. I love wearing my heels so I can work my calves walking back and forth to the bathroom. I actually wrote about this today in my blog! I’m glad we were feeling the same way.
Thank you for your work.
Love, Ghada.
This are very good exercises. People who work in an office setting tend to have a stiff body from sitting in one position for long periods of time. Loosening up the neck is the gateway of relieving pain throughout the rest of the body.
Great Post! I also sit at a desk for eight hours each day. It really takes a toll on your body. Thanks for the helpful office exercises.
Yeah that’s very true. Thanks for the great tip! bi help for us that are working long shifts.
“I sit at a desk all day as I’m sure many of you do as well.” – Yes!
Actually, I always tried the exercises they give you, when you are on a plane, but yours are very good as well. Thanks.
Great Post!his are very good exercises. People who work in an office setting tend to have a stiff body from sitting in one position for long periods of time.